


Speak of Grace

by Honeywhisker



Series: Whumptober! [6]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Betrayal, Gen, Implied/Referenced Torture, MT Prompto Argentum
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-07
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-07-27 17:16:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16223684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Honeywhisker/pseuds/Honeywhisker
Summary: After searching for Prompto alone in Zegnautus Keep their reunion goes a little differently when Ardyn makes an appearance.





	Speak of Grace

**Author's Note:**

> Day 6 was betrayal and I thought it would be interesting to see more adverse effects from the time in Zegnautus

Zegnautus keep was a mess of of a maze. With rogue MTs roaming the halls, poison gas, and even electric walls that tried to trap Noctis in. 

“Astrals, please, please just let me find him. I need to find him,” Noctis pleaded. He had been wandering the halls for hours now, taking out any enemies that came after him with the Ring. His arm burned with the magic of the Ring and all he had for company was Ardyn on the speakers through the whole facility. He largely ignored the taunting as he searched for Prompto.

When he finally found the right hallway he was appalled by what he saw. Cells lined the walls with barely any room to move in them and at the very end there was a door leading to his friend. Prompto was chained to some sort of metal contraption that almost resembled a cross. His wrists were raw and bloody and there were bruises covering most of his exposed skin. 

Noct swore and raced over to pull on the cuffs holding him up. He yanked on them for a moment before realizing it was a useless endeavor and started looking for another way to open them. A switch by the door looked promising and Noctis flipped it hoping to see some results. His sigh of relief echoed through the room along with the metallic click of Prompto being freed. 

His friend fell to his knees with a gasp and Noctis was by his side in an instant, helping him back to his feet and apologizing over and over for not seeing through Ardyn’s trick on the train. Through it all Prompto was silent and merely clung to Noct like a lifeline. After what he had been through, Noctis didn't push him for words, filling up the silence with his own ramblings. 

When his friend grabbed him for a hug Noctis didn't hesitate to twist his body into it. He had a moment of relief that Prompto was okay before he felt himself being shoved backwards. The pain of the metal digging into his back was unexpected and he gasped as Prompt held his arms out in a mockery of how he was held up himself. Noctis felt the click of the cuffs around his arms and the restraint around his waist slipped into place as well. 

He panicked at the feeling and started to struggle as Prompto backed away and even through his panic he could see there was something wrong. His friend didn't look up, didn't acknowledge what he had done, he just seemed to stand there as if waiting for something. 

“Prom,” Noctis questioned with a shaking voice. “Prompto, what's wrong?” 

Still his friend stood there staring at the floor, ignoring him and ignoring his wounds. He just continued to wait for whatever it was that had him standing still as a statue. 

“Prom, come on, whatever it is we can work it out as we get out of this hell hole. We need to meet up with Gladio and Iggy.”

The blond twitched at the names but otherwise remained unresponsive. When Ardyn’s laugh echoed through the hall, Prompto jumped into action and stood to the side as the man swept into the room. 

“Stay away from him, bastard. You've done enough.” Noctis struggled against the metal cuffs and felt the pain in his wrists but that didn't stop him from trying to get to the man that had caused all of this trouble. 

“Oh dear Prince, I believe it was you who allowed this to happen, was it not? Regardless, I've lost in treat in your friend here. He filled his purpose and that was all I needed him for.”

“What are you talking about,” he growled as he still tried to pull away from the metal restraints. 

“Dear Prompto agreed to give your life for his.”

Noctis felt as if he'd been doused in freezing water as Ardyn spoke. He watched the man walk over to his friend and gently pet his blond hair. Noctis noticed the flinch Prompto gave in response but he did nothing to refute the claim, merely huddled into himself. 

Ardyn gave Prompto one last pat before stepping fully up to Noctis. “How fitting that the Chosen is betrayed as well, and by someone so close to you. I can only imagine what that must feel like,” he snarled the last sentence as his hand flashed out to slam Noct’s head back into the post by his throat. “If I had the time I'd make sure you suffer all the wrongs the Astrals bestowed upon me. Sadly, you don't have 2000 years to wait.”

Ardyn tightened his grip on Noctis’ throat, cutting off his air before he slammed him back again and released him. “We have time before the Chosen must ascend and we have more time still before the Chosen and Accursed must meet their fate.”

“You're the Accursed?” Noctis had stopped struggling, hanging limp as his processed this new information. One detail still stood out to him. “You've known I was the Chosen King?”

“Oh I know much more than that Little King,” he brought his hand up again and Noctis hated that he flinched from it but it didn't stop Ardyn from running his fingers over the already forming bruises covering his neck. “Raised like a sheep for slaughter and you walked so confidently to your doom, all for a friend who sold your life away. It would be so easy to extinguish any hope for your star here and now but as I said, we have some time before we need to meet your fate.”

He stepped away from Noctis and turned away to face Prompto instead. “You played your part well little MT. You'll encounter no resistance from me if you wish to leave but you'll also have no help. If you don't wish to take the chance then you can simply follow me.”

Prompto glanced at Noctis from under his dirty blond hair and there was a flash of red in his eyes before he fell into step behind Ardyn as the man left the room. 

“Prompto, don't,” Noctis begged. He called out for his friend even as he retreated with Ardyn. He screamed for Prompto even as his throat went hoarse from his bruises. Only the silence answered him in the depths of the Keep.


End file.
